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The Steps To Reduce Heart Attack Risk By 8% Will Be Surprising To CKD Patients

Although Nephrologists tell their Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients that walking is beneficial for them, new research published in the journal Lancet provides a concrete number. By walking 2000 steps each day which is the equivalent of 20 minutes of moderate paced walking or walking one mile, an individual can lower their risk of a heart attack by 8%.

Although Nephrologists tell their Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients that walking is beneficial for them, new research published in the journal Lancet provides a concrete number. By walking 2000 steps each day which is the equivalent of 20 minutes of moderate paced walking or walking one mile, an individual can lower their risk of a heart attack by 8%.

People who suffer with CKD have a greatly increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease. While several studies have suggested that physical activity is beneficial to CKD patients' health, this is the first study to specifically quantify the extent to which change in walking behavior can modify the risk of heart disease, stroke, and Cardiovascular related deaths.

Although, the researched study group were diabetics, this information is relevant to those with CKD specifically because more than 35% of people over 20 years old with diabetes in fact have CKD, based on figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hence, in many ways the Diabetes and CKD communities are closely connected. Moreover, Time Magazine suggested that the findings can be more universally relevant to those at risk of Cardiovascular Disease, "That should be encouraging news to those who have added exercise to their daily routine. You don’t have to take your doctor’s word for it — now there’s pretty convincing data on exactly how much walking it takes to avoid heart disease."&nbsp;

Researchers suggest that "These novel findings provide the strongest evidence yet for the importance of physical activity in high risk populations and will inform diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention programmes worldwide." While walking has always shown to have some health benefits, those with CKD now have a tangible goal to achieve every day; whether they are walking to their dialysis chair, through the grocery store or conducting a moderate paced walk, they are reducing their risk of diabetes and heart disease both serious concerns for CKD patients.

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